


Calico Road Pt.II

by mghnn



Series: The Calico Road Series [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Heaven and Hell, Reimagined, Slow Burn, chestervelle - Freeform, dean and jo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2020-07-19 08:03:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19970722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mghnn/pseuds/mghnn
Summary: The search for answers continues after the boys are pulled back into the battle between Heaven and Hell; Jo navigates life as part of Team Free Will and their roles in the prophecy.—Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, or their original stories. I’ve tried to stick as close to the timeline details as possible but have taken some liberties with where this story falls and other information from later seasons; takes places loosely after S8.





	1. 01

**_Chapter 01;_ **

Jo hit the ground with an audible _oof_ andlay there winded for half a beat, frantically running through the options in her head as she tried to suck in a full breath. She heaved herself to her knees, struggling to get her feet under her as long fingers wrapped around her ankle. She backpedaled in an awkward crawl before spinning in his grasp as he dragged her backwards, very narrowly avoided smashing her chin on the ground before landing on her back. Drawing her free leg up, she extended it fast and slammed her heel into the stomach of her attacker, he relinquished his hold on her - expelling a woosh of air as the blow hit home. 

She scrambled up, trying to put some distance between them but he recovered faster than she could scurry away. He fisted a hand in her ponytail and yanked back, sweeping her feet out from under her as she fought for balance and she hit the ground again - hard. He quickly maneuvered over her, one knee on either side of her hips, catching the fist she aimed at his groin with one hand and leaning his weight into the forearm he’d gotten across her throat. 

“Okay, okay!” She wheezed, “Yield!”

She glared at the cocky smirk hovering above her, green eyes dancing with mirth. 

“You gotta move faster Jo, think faster.” Dean said, tapping her forehead with a finger before getting to his feet and extending a hand down to her. 

“You’re fucking merciless.” She said, snagging his hand and hauling herself up, other hand rubbing her throat. 

They’d been training like this for a few weeks now, after Dean had found her in the bunker’s gym one night, burning through her boredom on the ancient punching bag. He joined and managed to bait her into taking a swing at him, and thus began their nightly showdown. She’d yet to best him, ending up on her ass more often than not but she had to admit it was satisfying hitting something that would actually hit back. 

“Yea well, you gotta use your speed, you won’t beat me hand to hand.” No arrogance in his voice, just brash truth - he’d been training like this since Sam was a baby. She watched him walk to the edge of the mat, snatching up two water bottles and tossing one in her direction. “Your size is your disadvantage, so you have to _make_ it your advantage.” 

“I know”, She grumbled at him. “I get it.”

“Then do it.” He snipped at her.

Yea, you could say Dean Winchester was from the school of tough love.

Although she did appreciate it, his candidness - never sugarcoating what she needed to improve on. He would never think about going easy on her because she was a girl, in fact - she’d wager that he went harder on her _because_ of that. Or just because it was her.

“I need to know that if something or someone gets you down, that you’re gunna give ‘em hell.” He’d said to her one night after managing to pin her, nose against the mat with both arms restrained above her head, putting his weight into the knee in her back and still with one free hand. She’d growled and cursed at him in frustration before he placed that free hand flat against the mat beside her cheek, leaning down to whisper in her ear “There are some predators that just _want_ the chase.”

She hated to acknowledge the goosebumps that had worked their way down her spine at his voice, so low that it damn near came out as a purr. 

“You are getting faster.” He said, pulling her back to the present. “And strong—“ He was interrupted by the loud _BING_ from his phone. He reached for it, reading the message with a quick chuckle. “Sam’s got something.” He said, stuffing his phone in his pocket, making for the exit. 

“Did he seriously just text you instead of getting off his ass?” She shook her head. “I thought he was better than that.”

“Not when he’s neck deep in research - it’s his happy place. I think it might even be his version of porn”, he laughed again when she scrunched her face in disgust. 

“I bet you twenty bucks he says it.” She grinned at him as she followed him out the door. 

“You’re on.”

—

“What’s the word Sammy?” Dean hollered into the silent library, relishing in the jump he got from the other hunter. 

“Jesus Dean”, Sam glared at him, rearranging his notes. 

“Aww Sam, it’s okay.” Jo ruffled his hair as she walked past him to take a seat across the table. “Whatcha got?”

Sam frowned between the two of them before finding the paper he needed, quickly switching gears. “Okay, so get this—“, He was interrupted by a bark of laughter from Jo, who was now holding her hand out to his brother. 

“Oh come on!” Dean whined. 

“Not my fault you two are painfully predictable.” Dean slapped a bill in her hand and she pocketed it with a wide grin on her face, before seeing Sam’s expression. “Sorry Sam, please continue.”

He glowered at them for another moment, confirming they were done with their antics. “Okay well, I found something that sounds like it could be a piece of the prophecy that Cas was talking about but there’s a few details that are rough.”

“Spit it out.” Jo pushed, literally sitting on the edge of her seat. 

He ran his finger through his notes before finding the bit he was looking for. “She will be the third, marked by that which is above and that which is below, and she will be their mouthpiece. If one were to bind her; she will herald the end of days for the other.”

Jo sat there furrowing her brow, letting the words sink in as she tried to work through them. 

“Well above and below, that’s obviously Heaven and Hell.” Dean vocalized. 

“Yea, I’m gunna take a stab in the dark and say that you were able to see Dean’s memory because it was related to Hell.” Sam added. 

She nodded along with him, “So that particular gift isn’t going away anytime soon huh?” She’d only had the one incident like that so far, but it’d laid her out with a serious fever and she wasn’t keen to re-live the experience of intruding on someone else’s memories again. 

“I.. don’t think so.” Sam shook his head. “I’d like to believe that once you get used to them, your body won’t react so badly.” 

“Super.” She said sarcastically. “And I assume that seeing an angels grace is because it’s related to heaven?”

“It fits.” Sam nodded.

“Wait - what does it mean marked?” Dean questioned, snapping his eyes to Sam. “How is she marked?”

“That’s what I’m not sure about.” Sam said, flipping through his notes. “I can imagine your soul might be marked in some way from being in Heaven, but that’s all I got.”

Jo chewed her lip as the boys watched her, eyes dropping to the table.

“Jo?” Dean dipped his head to read her face, his concerned look meeting her guarded one. 

She let out a long sigh, “Pretty sure I know how I’m marked by hell.” She said flatly, pushing her chair back to stand. She lifted her shirt, pulling the edge up just under her bra line, exposing the hellhound scar; a claw mark that ran from her sternum, across her stomach and dipped below her jeans at her left hip; light pink and oddly smooth against the pale cream of her skin. 

Sam’s eyes went wide and she wasn’t quite sure what to read from Dean’s face; he looked like he was almost in pain, frozen in a half step forward as if he were going to reach out and touch her. She pulled her shirt down, stuffing her hands in her back pockets, avoiding their eyes. 

“How?” Sam asked quietly. 

“I don’t know.” She shrugged, still not looking up. “It’s been there since I came back.”

“CAS!” Jo and Sam both visibly jumped when Dean bellowed at the ceiling. 

__


	2. 02

Chapter 02;

Cas hadn’t frequented the bunker much since he’d shared exactly why he’d retrieved Jo from Heaven, keenly aware that he was not in the older Winchester’s good graces, so he’d made himself scarce. But this call, Jo noted - was answered in seconds, as if he’d been sitting on the sidelines just waiting for coach to put him back in.

Waiting to be needed again.

“Hello Dean.” He said in his classic deep deadpan voice.

Dean was pacing and part of her felt bad for the angel, being on the receiving end of his temper was a position she did not envy. “Care to enlighthen us on how she has a god-damned hellhound scar?” He started bitterly, “She didn’t— this version of her didn’t step foot in Carthage!” He only stopped pacing to jam an angry finger in her direction, making her feel slightly like a scolded child.

Cas blinked at her, before looking at Sam who was still seated at the library table. “You found the prophecy.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Seems like it, or a piece if it anyhow.” Sam nodded, then recited what he’d found.

“Her mark of Heaven came when Balthazar saved her body; bringing it to this world, this.. timeline, needed certain magics. A sign or a sigil somewhere on her body, to allow it to exist on this plane.” Cas explained.

“Well that’s just nice isn’t it. I don’t even have a tattoo and something’s been imprinted on me by a damn angel.” Jo spat.

“And her scar?” Dean Pressed. “Yes, that is her mark of hell.” Cas nodded.

Silence.

“HOW Cas?” Dean looked about ready to throttle the answer out of him.

Cas heaved a sigh. “Her body shows the trauma because her soul was branded to hell by the beast when she was attacked in this reality.”

“Branded to hell?” Sam asked.

“Jo’s soul was in hell before Heaven stole her away.”

“I beg your pardon?!” Jo’s eyes went wide, Dean stopped pacing and Sam’s eyes ping-ponged between each of them.

“The hounds mark, is like a brand, it damns your soul. When you died in Carthage, your soul was claimed to hell.”

“What the actual fuck Castiel?!” Jo yelled, surprising the boys with her outburst. She’d been relatively composed about a lot so far, Sam had wondered on more than one occasion if she was really good at dealing with what was going on, or just ignoring it all. When Dean had found her in the gym, throwing more than what she said was boredom into the punching bag - they realized she was dealing in her own way. “Would it not have been a bright fucking idea to maybe share that piece of information with us? With me?!” She continued furiously. “Or were you just going to wait until I had my own memory of hell pop up into my fucking head?”

“I was ordered not to interfere.”

“Are you fu—“, She cut herself off, jaw clenching and eyes closed, trying to reign her anger in. “Fuck you and your fucking orders.” She spat, pushing past him to the exit.

“Jo.” Sam called to her back. She didn’t stop, just waved her arm at him as she disappeared down the hall.

“I will go talk to her” Cas took a step to follow her but Dean stepped in front of him, arms crossed, head bowed.

“No,” He said, low and dangerous before bringing himself to full height, squaring his shoulders, looking the angel in the face.“You’re gunna sit down and tell Sam everything you know.”

“Dean, I—“, He tried to speak.

“Everything.” Dean snapped before turning to follow the blonde.

“I’m not supposed to interfere.” Cas said, more to the room than to anyone specific.

Sam motioned for him to sit down. “You’re in it Cas, you may as well give us a chance.”

—

Dean found Jo in the gun range, the humour not lost on him that this was where she’d found him after their last interaction with Cas. He sat down on the bench against the wall, elbows on his knees and hands clasped loosely, letting her spend her temper. He couldn’t help but be impressed at her resilience the last few weeks, dealing with the shitstorm better than he anticipated. He also had to give her credit for the handle she had on her emotions; where most people would make dangerous mistakes, let their judgement be clouded when anger got the best of them - Jo was the opposite. Like it gave her clarity, allowed her to zero in on whatever she was doing with laser-focus. She fought better when he pushed her buttons and tried to get under her skin. He loved the fire in her eyes when she was like that, and he couldn’t lie - it was pretty hot, a little scary and Ellen-like, but hot.

She emptied her clip and put her gun down with a big sigh, like the level of her anger waned as the shots echoing the room went quiet.

“Feel better?” He asked.

“No.” She replied. Still looking down the range. He could see her chewing her lip as they let the silence stretch.

“Do me a favour?” Dean said after a minute.

“What’s that?”

“When you get the first memory from your hell, you come to me.” His eyes were downcast when she turned to look at him, slightly taken back.

“Sorry?” She furrowed her brows at him as he brought his eyes to hers.

“You come to me.” He said it firmly, and so matter-of-factly that it almost came out like a command. Not that he was stupid enough to try that with her. “Both Sam and I have tried to deal with that shit ourselves—“

“But you’re both emotionally stunted cavemen who can’t talk about your feelings?” She interrupted sharply.

“Among other things, yea.” No mirth to his voice.

“I’ll be fine.” She waved him off.

“Jo, it doesn’t work alone.” He said seriously. “Trust me; I can barely think about my stint downstairs without wanting to break something and Sam’s Satan vision incapacitated Cas - a fucking celestial being. It does not work alone.” He took a big breath, filling his lungs completely before continuing. “I realize I’m not one for these warm ‘n fuzzy pep talks, but I’m serious Jo. Please.”

The plea hung between them for a moment before she nodded with a quiet “Okay.”

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys, I’m REALLY sorry for the hella long unintentional hiatus. 2019 was crazy in the best ways, and now that 2020 has us in social distancing, what better time to come back!


	3. 03

Chapter 03;

“So fun fact”, Sam started when Dean and Jo had made their way back to the library. No Castiel in sight, probably for the better. “The angels can’t see this prophecy.”

“What?” Dean asked, pulling up a chair at the end of the table while Jo took a seat across from Sam. This was quickly becoming their routine; their spots - so to speak.

“Some prophecies, once written, are hidden from the angels. Similar to the Angel and Demon tablets, they generally need to be transcribed by a prophet.”

“So assuming a prophet somewhere along the way transcribed this one, why was it hidden in the first place?”

Sam opened his mouth to continue but Jo cut him off, “Because I’m the one who can tip the scales in their favor.” Crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair, “Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong.” Sam nodded to her. “I’ll herald the end of the other.” She air quoted.

“Does that mean demons can’t see them either?” Dean asked.

“Seems so, least that’s what Cas said. But the demons know it exists, and they know something is going on. They were alerted when Cas brought Jo back - there’d been rumours and he’d been ordered to bring her back because of us.” Sam finished, looking over at his brother. “We’re the other part of the prophecy.”

“What? Why?” Dean replied.

“Because we” Sam motioned between the two of them. “Are still the true mortal vessels of Michael and Lucifer. Whether we said yes or not.”

“Fuck, I thought we were done with that shit? We will always say no.”

“Well apparently their plans for us changed. We have parts to play in the bigger picture - sacrifices to make.” Sam rolled his eyes.

“Really?!” Dean slammed his hand on the table. “Because it’s not like we haven’t sacrificed enough already. This is our lives they keep fucking with.”

“Well apparently we are the best equipped to protect a universal prophet.” Sam Waved his hand in Jo’s direction. “Sorry Jo.”

She shrugged at him. “Not your fault.”

“So why us this time? What about our vessels puts this on us?” Dean snapped.

“We are warriors; you represent heaven as Michael's vessel and I represent hell as Lucifer’s. But we’re mortal and, as they’ve learned, our allegiance is to this world - not theirs.”

“So we’re like some sort of quasi-holy trinity? Heaven, Hell and both?” Dean motioned at each of them.

“I guess so.” Sam finally pushed his notes away.

“Well fuck.” Dean grumbled.

“Yea, pretty much.” Sam agreed as the three hunters fell into silence, rolling the information around in their heads.

“We need a job.” Jo stated.

“Huh?”, Sam blinked at her.

“A job.” She repeated. “We’ve been solely focused in this” - she waved her hand over Sam’s research dismissively - “for what.. a month now? We need some normalcy.. well as normal as normal is for us.”

“I dunno Jo.” Sam furrowed his brow, “shouldn’t we stay focused on this? It’s kind of big.”

“One job.” She held up a finger. “I haven’t been on a hunt in how long? If I’m gunna be going up against angels and demons at some point, shouldn’t we get me back in the game a bit? Flex those muscles again? Not that I’m not enjoying wailing on this punching bag.” She smirked, jerking her thumb at Dean. Sam quirked his lips into a half smile when Dean rolled his eyes back at her.

Dean shrugged at Sam, “What could it hurt?”

“That’s a loaded question when you ‘n I are involved.” Sam said, still with a small smile - pulling his laptop in front of him. “I’ll see what I can find.”

—

“You’re sure you don’t wanna come?” Jo asked Sam as she entered the library; duffle in one hand, shotgun in the other and Dean right behind her. It hadn’t taken Sam long to find something for her and he was just pulling the last of the details into a file for her.

“Yea, I wanna keep going on this research.” He said as he held the file up for her. Dropping her gear, she snatched it from his hand eagerly, flipping through the pages.

“I told you”, Dean mock whispered to her from behind his hand, held up specifically so Sam could hear. “It’s his porn.”

“Jerk.”

Dean caught the book Sam launched at his head, snapping it out of the air like a cat. “Bitch.” He said, a huge smile plastered on his face.

Jo just rolled her eyes at them, bending to pick up her gear. “Okay, well are you ready?”

Dean could tell she was actually excited about this - and to be fair, they’d barely left the bunker these last few weeks. Nothing more than a run for food and drink. “Yea, I’ll be out in a sec.” He nodded to her as she made her way out of the library.

“Kay.” Was all she shot over her shoulder as she hit the metal staircase.

Dean turned back to Sam. “You find anything we need to know asap, you call.” He said maybe too sternly, pointing his finger in his brother’s direction.

“Of course.” Sam smirked at him.

“I mean it, if Cas comes back - you get everything you can out of him.”

“Yes Dean”, Sam nodded, rolling his eyes before smirking at his brother again.

“What?!” Dean asked, his tone laced with irritation.

“Dude, really?”

“Sam, what is so funny?”

Sam shook his head with a chuckle, “You ‘n Jo.” Dean just lifted an eyebrow at him. “Couple days on the road, nice ‘lil hunt, sharing a motel room - ‘bout as close as you two could get to a romantic getaway.”

Dean flapped his mouth for a moment, trying to protest - without protesting too much. “What? Sam it’s a job, get’s her outta here for a few days - that’s it.”

“Right.” Sam just smiled at him, that stupid shit-eating grin that he got every so often.

Dean glowered at him, grabbed his bag with a huff and stalked away.

“You kids have a lovely time now!” Sam yelled to him. “Make smart life choices!”

“Shut it Sam!” Dean growled from the doorway, mumbling something probably derogatory before letting the steel door slam shut behind him.

Sam just chuckled to himself.

__

The job was cut and dry, exactly what Jo had asked for - find the spook, salt & burn, save the people. In this case, there was the added bonus of threatening a civi who’d taken advantage of a young couple looking to buy a cheap fixer upper.

The couple had been naive and new to town; thinking they were getting a killer (pun intended) deal on, what could have been a beautiful Queen Ann style house - sitting all alone up on a hill at the edge of town. The wife had fallen in love with it instantly, and the realtor had - quote, unquote - failed to mention that the families who moved in, never actually moved out. Spinning the story of it’s vacancy on the fact that no one had the skill to restore it to it’s original lustre. Well lucky for that couple; hubby was as handy as they came and had experience fixing up historic structures.

8 hrs from the bunker, Dean and Jo got into Colorado Springs late, snagging the last room available at the motel sitting at the very end of the strip off the highway. Apparently there was some big hot air balloon festival and it brought the families out in troves - which meant the last room they could get held a single queen bed.

Couch was a kind word for it, the thing was barely the size of a loveseat and with stains on it that you really didn’t want to look closely at.

“We’re both adults Dean”, she waved him off, dropping her duffle on the bed, standing on the side furthest from the door. Knowing him well enough to know he’d prefer the side closest to an attack or escape.

“You sure?” He’d asked, bag still in hand.

“Are you twelve? Afraid I’ve got cooties?” She smirked at him.

“No.” He huffed at her.

—

After deciding to stay in that first night and make their plan before turning in, they were now both laying on their backs, Dean on top of the covers in sweats and a tee shirt, with his hands behind his head. Jo under them, with the sheet pulled up under her armpits and her hands clasped on her stomach. Both could feel the other was not actually asleep.

“Hey Dean?” Jo whispered quietly.

“Hmmm?”

Jo chewed her lip, mulling questions around her mind. Was now really the best time to bring this up? She felt his head turn to peer over at her, could see in her perifs the light filter through his lashes, eyes still half closed.

“What’s up?” He asked quietly.

“Nuthin.” She said, shaking her head. _Chickenshit_ , she thought.

He held his gaze on her a moment longer, watching her face for any hint of what she was going to ask. When she finally closed her eyes, he turned to stare back up at the ceiling. Laying awake until she’d fallen asleep, before closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.


	4. 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: upcoming smuttity-smut-smut.

**_Chapter 04;_ **

  
  


They were in another motel, their 4th job since Colorado. Sam insisting on keeping them busy and out of the bunker, slash out of his hair, while he continued diving deeper into research. 

Laying the same way they did each night while on the road, Jo on her side facing the wall, Dean on his back staring at the ceiling - although both much more relaxed as the post hunt high - and celebratory whiskey settled into their bones. The slight awkwardness from the first job had faded away and they found that they actually worked quite well together, settling into an easy rhythm: drive, plan, execute, drink, sleep, repeat.

“You awake?” He’d asked, voice breaking the silent room with a low rumble. He knew she was, able to tell by the muscles across her back, and the rhythm of her breath.

“Yup” She answered, rolling to her back and looking up at him. 

“What were you gunna ask me that first night back in Colorado?”

“Oh.. ”, She started chewing her lip, flipping her eyes to the ceiling. “uuhh, Nuthin - it’s silly.”

“Jo?” Dean pressed lightly. She let out a sigh and he watched her fingers fiddle with the edge of her tank top. She’d kicked the covers off earlier, her body a little warmer from the whiskey, though neither of them were near drunk. Just that happy little warm feeling that made your cheeks rosy and kept a smile on your face. 

“What.. what were we to each other?” She asked quickly, each word getting a little quieter as she continued. He could feel her body tense up, waiting.. bracing for something. An answer? A let down?

Dean scrubbed a hand over his face, letting out a long sigh. “Well..” She turned her head to face him, trying to read his expression in the dark. 

“I’ve been trying to put it together, but I don’t.. I don’t have all the pieces yet, you know? The memories, they cut out before giving me the whole picture but there’s always something.. some tension between us in them.”

“There was”, Dean agreed quietly, nodding slowly. 

“But nothing happened.” It was a statement more than a question. “Maybe a few almosts I think.”

“There was one kiss.” Dean stated after a moment and she could see the muscles in his jaw tense.

Jo blinked at him, a piece of the mental puzzle falling into place as she realized when that kiss had taken place. Mouth forming a silent ‘o’ as her brain played out the rest of the memory for her.

“Carthage.” She breathed out the word as she nodded, letting them fall into silence for a long while. Dean’s eyes on the ceiling, Jo’s on her fingers, watching them fiddle with the edge of her tank top again. 

“Thank you.” She finally said, so quietly Dean had to look at her to confirm she’d said anything at all. 

“For what?” He asked, genuine confusion crossing his face. 

“It was a sweet way to say goodbye.” 

Dean frowned at her, “waiting until the last possible moment to give you anything at all? No Jo - you deserved better than that.” She could feel the anger he felt at himself. “It was— I was a coward.”

“You’re no—“. He moved so fast she barely registered the shift in the mattress before he was hovering over her on one elbow. Cutting her off as his lips crashed into hers, teeth clacking together while her body and brain tried to catch up to what was happening. When they did, she responded eagerly, legs coming up to hook her feet behind his knees, pulling him closer, fingers running through his short hair. 

It was an overwhelming, almost frantic kiss that left them both breathless when he finally pulled away. Searching her face for any sign that this was not okay. His eyes seemed to almost glow in the low light, green being chewed up quickly as his eyes darkened with lust. 

She sat up towards him putting a hand against his chest, forcing him back on his haunches as he knelt between her legs, staring him down before bringing that hand up to his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her palm and she could feel the thrum of his pulse in the pinky finger that rested just under his jaw. She waited until he opened his eyes again, before pushing herself up to her knees to meet his lips. A slow, deliberate kiss that left her feeling just as heady as the first one. 

Dean brought both his hands up to cup her face as her hands skirted the edge of his shirt, fingers dipping under the material to skim the band of his sweats. Smiling against his mouth as she found a ticklish spot right around the V of his abdominals. 

He growled against her mouth, snagging her wrists and pulled them away to rest at her sides, before running his hands up her arms. Fingering the straps of her tank top, letting one slip off her shoulder as he brought his face down to trail kisses along her collarbone. She tilted her head back, giving him better access, her eyes trained on the ceiling, lids fluttering as he found a sensitive spot below her ear. She could feel him smirk against her skin as a quiet moan escaped her lips. 

Her hands found the edge of his T-shirt again, pulling it up and over his head, dropping it to the floor as he made to do the same to her tank top. Grazing his hands up her sides and over the curve of her breasts, thumbs brushing her braless nipples as he pulled the material over her head and fisted a hand behind her neck, hungrily attacking her mouth as he guided her back down to the bed. 

She let her hands run over the plains of him; arms, shoulders, back - fingernails trailing patterns around the hunters roadmap that was his skin. A claw mark here, a bullet scar there, the long thin line from a knife, smaller puckered ridge of a bite mark. It was all there, every close call he’d ever had. 

She was so busy mentally identifying the marks on him that it took her by surprise when he stopped suddenly, halting the kisses he’d been tracking across her exposed skin. She watched his face as he delicately traced the hellhound scar across her belly, three fingers barely making contact with the lines marring her skin, following them to stop at the waistband of her shorts, where they dipped below and around her hip bone. He tucked a finger below the fabric to toy with the damaged skin hidden underneath, running back and forth across the ridges at the end of the scar. 

She almost thought he would stop, come to his senses and remember why they had never let things get this far in their previous lives, knowing how much guilt he held for her demise in this timeline. She thought he even surprised himself when he brought his lips to the top of the claw mark high up on her sternum, right at her bra line. His breath skimmed warmly against the skin in the valley between her breasts as he placed the softest kisses along her scar. Following the same path his fingers had, excruciatingly slow, all the way down to the finger still circling her at hip. 

It was maddening and she was nearly panting by the time his lips reached her hip, she hadn’t realized how sensitive the marks were to this kind of attention. She glanced down to find his eyes on her, two near black emeralds glittering in the dark as he placed one more kiss there, watching her suck in a shuddering breath. 

He kept his eyes on her face when he hooked his fingers under the elastic and dragged her shorts down, taking her underwear with them. Then continued trailing kisses as he slid the material down her legs, his stubble grazing along with his lips. Over hips, thighs, knees and shins before discarding her shorts and trailing those same kisses back up the inside of her legs, crawling between them as he made his way back up her body. 

He came back to her lips with another hard kiss before pushing up and stepping off the side of the bed, chuckling at her frown as he made his way to the dresser across the room. Digging around in his duffle for a moment before padding back and tossing a silver foiled packet to the bed, shucking out of his sweats and boxers. He drank in the sight of her as he knelt back on the bed; hair a mess, flushed skin, swollen lips, and not a stitch of clothing on, her porcelain skin almost luminous - looking back up at him with a hunger that surely rivaled his in that moment. When their eyes met again, electricity hit and they were a flurry of motion - hands and teeth and lips and then he was pushing into her as her head arched back with a gasp, eyelids closed in pleasure. She matched him thrust for thrust, moan for moan, holding each other so close that it wasn’t long before they were both coming undone, limbs tangled around each other,her lips against his collarbone as she sighed into his skin. They stayed like that, both breathing hard with his head in the crook of her neck and still inside her, until the sweat started to cool against their skin. Slowly peeling themselves apart and with a kiss to her collarbone, Dean headed to the bathroom to clean himself up. 

The stream of light from the bathroom danced across Jo when he came back out, who was now laying on her side, wearing a sated and satisfied smile. Flicking the light off, he headed back to the bed,and crawled in behind her; tucking one arm under her neck and hooking the other over her as he pulled her against him. They promptly fell asleep - Dean with his face in her hair against the back of her neck and Jo with one hand tucked in his, feeling the rise and fall of his chest against her back. 

__


	5. 05

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit more smut. Sorry not sorry.

**_Chapter 05;_ **

Jo blinked awake, eyes squinting against an irritatingly persistent ray of sunshine hitting her face from between the thin motel curtains. She found herself still caged under Dean's limbs, a little surprised to discover him still wrapped around her, thinking he might make an excuse to avoid the morning after sentiments. 

She attempted to untangle herself without disturbing him, trying to edge her way off the bed - but she’d barely started to move before his arms tightened around her, pulling her back to rest against his chest. When she peered over her shoulder to look at him, he just burrowed his face deeper into her hair. 

Who would have thought that Dean Winchester was a cuddler. 

“Morning”, he mumbled, voice thick and husky with sleep. 

“Uhh might be closer to afternoon”, She said, trying to turn to sit up in his hold. “We should probably get up.”

“Nah”, she could feel him shake his head against the back of her neck. 

“Kay well, I have to get up”, she smiled

“No you don’t”, he squeezed her tighter again. 

“Dean, I have to pee!” She laughed.

He huffed at her, blowing tendrils of her hair across his face and lifted his arm so she could escape. 

She came back to him partially propped up against the headboard, one eye peering at her from under the arm he had over his face in an attempt to block the sunlight. She smiled in his direction and bent to pick up her discarded PJs off the floor. 

“If you so much as think about putting those back on, so help me..”, He let the playful threat hang in the air with a smirk as she gawked up at him in surprise. 

Jo stood back up, her clothes bunched in one hand. “Shouldn’t we hit the road? Head back to Sam?”

He sat up, hanging his hands over his knees - nothing but a sheet covering his lower half. “Where’s the fire?” He asked before tossing the sheet back and standing up.

Her eyesbrows shot further up her forehead as he strode his way - in all his naked glory - to where she stood. No cockiness or insecurity in him at all as he plucked the clothing from her hand and tossed it over his shoulder. “And please tell me that my brother is not what you’re thinking about right now”, he smirked as he pulled her lips to his, walking her backwards slowly until she was pressed against the wall. 

She’d barely formed the _holy shit_ in her mind before he had one arm under her backside, one against the wall beside her head, and had her hoisted up with her legs wrapped around him. With her balanced between himself and the wall, he reached for his duffle on the dresser and swift as a cat, had the condom on and was in her with a “holy shit!” gasping out of her mouth. 

Apparently Dean Winchester was also into morning sex.

She ceased to form a functional thought after that, riding out the pleasure with him - right against that wall. Indulging in the way he breathed her name against her lips as he thrust into her, capturing the taste of it around her own sounds of satisfaction.

__

They made it back to bed at some point, both showered but still lacking more than just their under garments. Dean was laying on his stomach at the foot of the bed, pillow propped under his chin as he watched commercials dance across the staticy tv screen. His eyes only half open as Jo, sitting against the headboard behind him, trailed her fingers down the backs of his legs. Jo thought if he was any more content he’d likely start purring. 

Until his stomach growled. 

“Yea, we should probably grab some food”, Jo said as they both laughed at the disturbance. 

“That would require you to be fully clothed”, He noted, an eyebrow quirked over his shoulder at her.

“Why don’t we grab something to go? There’s a diner a few blocks down”, She said as she swung her legs off the edge of the bed and headed to where her duffle was beside his on the dresser. He glared at her as she pulled a tshirt over her head and stepped into her jeans, reaching over to toss his clothes at him. “C’mon, how good would a bacon cheeseburger be right now?”

His stomach growled again in response. 

“Exactly”, she smirked. 

__

They pulled up to the diner, the smell of greasy fries wafting through the open windows of the impala, Dean’s phone rang loudly as they both stepped out of the car. 

“It’s Sam”, He said, flashing her the screen. 

“Answer it, I’ll go grab the food”, She smiled, nodding towards the diner. 

Dean followed her form to the door before turning around to answer his phone.

“Hey Sammy.”

“Hey, can you grab the essentials before you get back in town tonight? You’re almost out of beer”, Sam’s voice came through the line. 

“I’m almost out? You mean you’ve had your nose in a book and have been drinking it all.”

“Yea.. same thing” 

“Uhhh, yea well you’ll need to pull yourself away from your precious books and get it yourself, we won’t be back till tomorrow sometime.” Dean said, flicking his gaze back to Jo through the window of the diner. 

“Why’s that? I thought the job was done?”

“Yea it is, we’re just uhh movin’ a little slow today. Restin’ off a few bruises”, Dean said turning his eyes back to his feet, slowly pacing his way around the corner of the diner.

“Uh-huh.” Sam said knowingly. “Right… you’re resting.”

“What? We are, it was a late night”

“I’m sure it was”, Sam was full on laughing now. “Dude you’re a terrible liar.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yea, okay Dean. Well you two enjoy your day then. Byeeee”, Sam sang the farewell as he hung up. 

Dean rolled his eyes as he pocketed his phone, turning the corner and heading back to the car. He scanned the windows of the diner looking for Jo’s blonde hair, brow furrowing when he couldn’t see her. He headed towards the front door, thinking she maybe went to the bathroom. 

As he was coming round the back of the car, out of the corner of his eye he saw a takeout bag on the ground beside the passenger door. He stopped and scanned the ground, where there lay a cardboard tray with 2 drinks knocked on it’s side, liquid pooling under the tire, mixing with drops of blood. 

“Shit,” He cursed, sprinting into the diner. “Hey!” He barked, pointing at the waitress behind the counter, who froze with eyes wide as he came at her, “Blonde girl, yay high”, he held his hand flat in the air, about the height of Jo, “black tshirt, blue jeans - where’d she go?” He came to a stop in front of the woman. 

“Uh - I think she.. she just went to that black car.” The woman pointed at the impala. 

“SHIT!”, He cursed again, slamming his hands on the counter, causing the woman to jump and let out a yelp of surprise. “Sorry, sorry, thank you.” Dean held up his hands in apology towards the woman before turning on his heel and sprinting back to the car, pulling his phone out as he jumped into the car.

“Hey De-“

“SAM!”, Dean half shouted into the phone, tucking it between his ear and shoulder as he jammed the keys in the ignition. “Track her phone, she’s gone.”

“Gone, what? What do you me-“

“Just do it, NOW and send me the address”, He tossed his phone on the passenger seat not bothering to wait for a response and slammed the car in gear, spitting gravel behind him as he spun out of the parking lot and towards the motel. 

As the car screamed to a stop in front of the motel room he and Jo had been staying in, Dean noted that the door was open - the wood around the handle cracked and splintered. “Fuck”, he leaned over, snatching the gun from inside the glove box, checking the clip and snapping one into the chamber. 

He got out, scanning the area slowly as he crept towards the door. He nudged it open with the barrel of the gun, cautiously stepping into the room - not at all surprised to see it trashed. He froze beside the bed when he heard a crunch behind him, swinging the gun around to aim it at whoever was there, he wasn’t fast enough. Feeling the CRACK against his skull, he dropped hard. Everything going sideways, before it went black.

__


	6. 06

**_Chapter 06;_ **

  
  


When Jo came to, she blinked awake into a sharp pain - her head aching as she squinted into consciousness. 

The first thing she noticed was Dean, pacing behind the bars of a cell across the room from her. Angry pacing, like he would rip the jugular out of the first thing that came near him. 

The second thing she noticed was the man Dean had his glare focused on, eyes blazing with so much fury, it raised the hair on the back of her neck. She could only see the back of the man, but something tickled the edge of her memories. 

No, not her memory, Deans. 

A nasally voice, cocky and condescending was taunting him through the bars.

Alastair. 

_Shiiiiiit._

She gave herself a mental shake as she internally scolded herself that the last thing she noticed was that she wasn’t looking through the bars of her own cell, she was tied up. Chained actually, with her arms above her head, heavy metal shackles around her wrists and feet. 

Flexing her fingers, she craned her neck to see if she could squeeze her hands through the shackles. Of course she wasn’t that lucky, and in the process had drawn attention to the jingle of her chains as she struggled. 

“Well now, mm-look who finally decided to join us”, Alastair flashed his teeth in a menacing grin and sauntered over to her. 

“You lay a finger on her, I will make sure you choke on it”, Dean growled, slamming his hands against his bars. 

“Oh hush now - he’s just so aggressive isn’t he?” He waved Dean’s threat off, the movement throwing Dean against the back wall of his cell. 

“What do you want Alastair?” Jo managed a tone full of the bravado that she currently did not actually possess.

Demons were scary, until you knew how to kill them. But Alastair had already been killed - by Sam and his demon blood powers - which, to her understanding, were long gone. Meaning, not only did the demon knife not work on him but that someone brought him back and he had weaselled his way topside. It also meant that this really wasn’t good. 

“Oh, mm-does my reputation precede me? Well, my dear Joanna - I can call you that can’t I?” He stepped up to her, stroking a long finger down the side of her face and under her chin, forcing her eyes to his. “We want you.. well.. mm-I want you.” He whispered, letting her chin drop and twirling a tendril of her hair as he let his eyes graze down her body. 

_She will be the third, marked by that which is above and that which is below, and she will be their mouthpiece. If one were to bind her; she will herald the end of days for the other._

_Shit_ , she thought as she tried to pull away from him. “You’re going rogue. You don’t want me just for team hell, you want- no wait..”, She fixed him with a hard look. “You _need_ me so you can rule it? The mighty executioner wants to sit at the helm of that shithole”, She spat at him. 

He stepped closer to her, grabbing her face in one hand. “I heard you were a mm-smart girl. I’ve spent enough time mm-grooming souls, like that one-”, He jerked his head in Dean’s direction,“-to torture. It’s time for a pay raise. By the way”.. He stuck his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling a big breath. “..I can mm-smell him on you”, he purred in her ear. 

He turned his gaze back on Dean as Jo tried to put distance between them, Alastair smirking at him over his shoulder. “Seems Michael's vessel has been a mm-busy boy. Trying to sway her to your mm-little band of misfit toys?”

He turned back to her, “Surely you know it won’t last, mm-you know he’s not capable of anything more than...mmm-his Basic. Carnal. Instincts. Don’t you? Mmmm-no, he’s no lover my dear.” He moved around to stand behind her, holding her face in Dean’s direction. “Look at him, he’s just a mm-predator. An animal.”

In that moment, that is exactly what Dean looked like. Pacing his cage like a panther, practically spitting with fury. She could see, plain as day, the pleasure he would take in tearing the demon apart piece by piece.

“He was good you know”, He continued. “One of my best and brightest, so much potential, mm-they don’t stay righteous for very long do they? I mean mm-he made it 30 years, that’s pretty good don’t you think? 30 years of being CUT! and SLICED! and then mm-put back together.” He barked the words over her shoulder at Dean. “But you know what I wish Joanna? I wish he was still down there when your mm-pretty little soul was hanging on that rack. I wish he was the one to tear you apart day after day, year after year, mm-could you IMAGINE?! The self-loathing he would have after that? Almost mm-poetic.”

“Shut your fucking mouth!”, Dean snarled at him. 

“That family, they’ve brought you nothing but pain, haven’t they? But boy, you still carry a torch for this one don’t you?”

Jo furrowed her brow as his words triggered something in her brain. _No No!_ She thought, _Not now!_ She could feel the pull of the memory dragging her down, she bit the inside of her cheek hard, drawing blood as she mentally clawed to stay in the present. 

“JO!”, Dean shouted as she lost the battle, her eyes glazing over as the memory took her away. 

> _“Boy you’re really carrying a torch for him aren’t you?” Sam is looking at her_ _with a condescending expression, holding his mouth in a stiff smile as she_ _scoffed at him. She’s in a dingy pub, walls adorned with nautical pieces, the_ _smell of brine and seaweed in the air._
> 
> _“I’ll take that as a yes. It’s too bad ‘cause see, Dean - he likes you sure but not_ _in the way you’d want. I mean, maybe as kind of a..”, he smirked at her, “a_ _little sister, you know? But romance? That’s just out of the question. He-“,_ _Sam laughs, “he thinks of you as a school girl, you know?”_
> 
> _Sam pauses as she scowls at him. “I’m not trying to hurt you Jo— I’m telling_ _you ‘cause I care.” He looks entirely too enthused about letting her down._
> 
> _“That’s real kind of you Sam.” She cuts her words at him._
> 
> _“I mean it, I care about you..” He places his hand over her wrist suggestively,_ _“a lot.”_
> 
> _“Sam what’s going on?” She tries to pull her hand away but he tightens his_ _grip around her wrist._
> 
> _“I can be more to you Jo.”_
> 
> _“Maybe you should leave.”_
> 
> _“Okay.” His voice is clipped as he shoves her hand away, and stands to leave._
> 
> _Jo turns towards the bar, grabbing a rag to hide her anxiety at his unnerving_ _behaviour but then he’s grabbing her, trying to manhandle her into submission_ _as she turns to push him away. “Sam! Get off me! Sam, get off me! Let go!”_
> 
> _His hands are at her throat as she’s frantically reaching for the empty beer_ _bottle on the bar. He grabs her wrist before she can swing it at him and slams_ _her arm into the bar, the bottle shattering as he smashes it from her grasp._
> 
> _“Jo, Jo, Jo”, he coos at her. Shoving her around until she faces the bar,_ _pinning her between it and him, one hand stroking her hair posessively._
> 
> _“Sam no! Please! Please!” She’s begging him, before he slams her head_ _against the bar, knocking her unconscious._
> 
> _She comes to as he’s binding her hands behind her back around a large_ _wooden post, she could feel the splinters digging into her arms, and the_ _throbbing pain in her head._
> 
> _“What the hell is going on? What are you doing?” She groaned._
> 
> _“So what exactly did your mom tell you?” Sam asked, in her ear, “about how_ _your dad died?”_
> 
> _“You’re not Sam.”_
> 
> _“Don’t be so sure about that, answer the question.” There’s a heavy sigh at_ _her silence as he comes around to stand in front of her. Pulling out a large_ _blade, he caresses her cheek with it, “Come on, it’s me - you can tell me_ _anything.” He says insincerely. “Now answer the question.”_
> 
> _“Fine.” She snapped._
> 
> _“Fine.” Sam replied._
> 
> _“Our dad’s were in California; Devils Gate Reservoir. They were setting a trap_ _for some kind of hellspawn. John was hiding and waiting, my dad was the_ _bait.”_
> 
> _Sam chuckles darkly, “That’s just like John, Oh I’ll bet he dangled Bill like_ _meat on a hook. Then what?”_
> 
> _She watches him get up and leave her range of vision, “The thing showed up,_ _John got too eager, jumped out too soon got my dad exposed, out in the_ _open. The thing turned around … and killed him.”_
> 
> _She was biting back tears as Sam leaned near her shoulder. “Not quite.” He_ _exhaled slowly._
> 
> _“What?”_
> 
> _“What? Oh, see.. it hurt him. It didn’t kill him. You really don’t know the truth_ _do you? I bet your mom doesn’t either.”_
> 
> _“Know what?”_
> 
> _“You see, Bill.. was all clawed up. Was holding his insides in his hands, he_ _was gurgling and.. praying to see you and Ellen one more time. So my dad.._ _killed him. Put him out of his misery like a sick dog.”_
> 
> _“You’re lying.”_
> 
> _“I’m not, it’s true. My daddy shot your daddy in the head..” He sang to her._
> 
> _“How could you know that?”_
> 
> _“I hear things.” He clips, standing up and stabbing the knife into the wood_ _above her head._
> 
> _“Why are you doing this to me?”_
> 
> _“Like daddy, like daughter. You’re bait - open up.” He said, forcing a rag into_ _her mouth and knotting it behind her head. “That’s a girl.”_

  
  
  


Jo gasped, trying to pull air into her lungs, rapidly blinking to come back to the present. Trying to focus on Dean through the haze over her eyes. 

“JO!”, She could hear the panic in his voice. 

“Mm-well that was a fun little trip down memory lane!” Alastair was almost giddy with his hand grasping the back of her head. Having apparently tagged along for the ride, he gave her head a quick shake, “You seem to be missing a few marbles in here my dear.”

“LET HER GO!” Dean bellowed, he was thrashing at the bars of his cage, trying to bring the thing down with everything he had. 

“Oh no-no, mm-I don’t think I will.” A manic smile pulling his mouth wide and his eyes showing nothing but white as he focused on Dean over her shoulder. “Why don’t we fill in those blanks for you”

She’s struggling desperately to pull her head free but Alastair grabbed her with both hands, digging his fingertips into her skull.

“NOOO!” Dean's cry melts into Jo’s scream as pain explodes behind her eyes.

Then she’s consumed by chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to actor Christopher Heyerdahl for the hands-down BEST version of Alastair in the series; I hope the cadence that he spoke came across in this chapter, if not check out this clip for what my writing was intended to sound like. 
> 
> https://youtu.be/jlCvjo3IAqA


End file.
